Body for vehicles, especially railway cars



April 1950 A. G. DEAN BODY FOR VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY RAILWAY CARS Filed May 10, 1947 INVENTOR BY #Hbe t fli /am.

' ATTORNEY X X m X I x L X Y- X x x x x 4 m F u" n B 5 lllllll ll O EKHIIIIH 2 1 1 v 9 A /////I x 1 z A 1 lllll|0l|11lll|||1|ll llll 8 '1 m m 7 4M Patented Apr. 18,

UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE Albert G. nan, Narbcrth, Pa assignor to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa:, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 10, 1947, serial No. man

Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in the construction of railway cars or other vehicles with bodies presenting similar problems. More particularly, the invention involves an improved construction of the side wall posts of a vehicle body and of the connection of such posts with adjoining body elements. Still more specifically, the invention relates to an improvement of the construction disclosed in the applications of Walter E. Dean, Serial No. 585,899, Body side wall for ehicles, especially railway cars, andSerial No. 585,900, Body, especially roof for vehicle such as railwaycars, both filed March 31, 1945.

The main object of the invention is to provide a vehicle body having posts between adjoining window openings which are mainly formed by straight-sided vertical members of constant cross section, and which are so constructed asv to reduce the space occupied by these posts between the windows to a minimum, while providing adequate strength and an area for the overlapping attachment of the posts to adjoining members in a region beyond the window openings which is greater than the width of the posts in the region or the Window openings. n

The aforesaid and other objects are mainly achieved according to the invention by providing posts comprising a main member in the form of a straight-sided shallow transversely facing channel section throughout its height, and one or more additional angleor U-sections attached to the side walls of the main member in a region beyond the window openings so that the efiective width of the post available for overlapping con-' nection with adjoinin body members is increased while retaining a relatively small width of the post in the region between adjacent window openings.

The aforesaid and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more easily and fully understood from the illustration of one embodiment of the invention in the attached drawing and from the following description of such embodiment.

In the drawing:

Figure l is afragmentary side elevation" of a railway car body, certain parts of the outer panel being broken away for exposing the framework;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation, on a larger scale, of the upper end of one of the posts shown in Figure land of the adjoining body members;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the scale of Figure 2, the sectionbeing taken along lines 3-3 of Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is a horizontal fragmentary section along line 44 of Figure 2.

The illustrated body comprises two side wall units 5 (only one being shown in the drawing) interconnected by a roof unit 6'.

The side wall unit 5 has as main strength elements longitudinally extending chords l, 8, Sand it interconnected by vertical posts-ll arranged between large window openings 52. The window openings may extend all the way to the posts it or thir size may be reduced by vertical members neutered near the posts II between the chords 3 arid 9. So as to permit the maximum size of window openings, it is desirable to keep the width of the posts I l in the window reg-ions as small as possible without, of course, encroaching upon the necessary strength or the structure. The side wall comprises also ether reinforcing members, such as diagonals (not shown) between the chords 7 and 8'} outer panelling [4, etc.

The rear unit 8 has on each side a channels'e'cti'o'n chord member i5 connected to the ends of transverse carlines [6. A shear panel ii is con-' rictd to the" lower ends Of the carlins i5 and the chord i5 and extends downwardly beyond the errors E5. The carlin's iii, the chord iii and the shear panel ll are structurally connected with longitudinally corrugated sheet metal .18

a molding lQ secured along the lower margin of the panel I'l.

The sidewall units and the roof unit are connected with each other through the overlapping bottom walls of their marginal chords iii. and to, through the overlapping portions of the upper ends of the posts H and the chords 9 and of the roof members ll, i8 and I9, and by an inner longitudinal member 253 overlapping the adjacent ends of the posts H and the carlines it as wellas the inner walls of the chord members to and as.

The posts It each have a main member in form of a shallow channel having a bottom wall 2 E on the outside; inwardly extending side walls 22 and inner marginal flanges 23' directed to ward each other. The bottom wall it and the flanges 23 offer surfaces for the above-mentioned ov'eilal pi'rig' connection, for instance, by electric spot welding, with' theadjoining may members 9, ll}, ll, i8, it and 2B.

structi'on'defscribe'd so far is substantical'witli the construct-lee disclosed aid' application's.

The width or the neai-nie" H in the region above thewiridow openings" i2 is increased by laterally facing channel-section members 2 each having its bottom wall 25 overlappingly secured, as by spot welding, to a side of the eases wall 22, whereas their side walls 26 and 21 are arranged respectively in the planes of the bottom wall 2! and the flanges 23 of the posts main member. The side walls 26 and 21 of the members 24 constitute extensions of the walls and flanges 2|, 23, thereby increasing the efiective area available for placing connections between the posts and the adjoining members of side wall and roof. Such connections, which are preferably made by electric spot welding, are indicated in Figure 2 of the drawing by small crosses 28, while in the other cross sectional Figures 3 and 4 the location of the spot welds is indicated by black spots 29.

The illustrated main member 'of the post II has a constant cross section over its entire height and can, therefore, be made by simple manufacturing methods, for instance, on a draw bench or a brake. The width of the posts between window openings is as small as is consistent with the required strength. on the other hand, the post with the added members 24 offers a connecting area for adjoining body members which is much greater than would be afforded by its Width between the window openings.

The invention is not restricted to the specific illustrated embodiment but is subject to modifications and adaptations which will occur to those skilled in the art, and it should be understood that protection is sought for the invention as covered by the spirit and the language of the attached claims;

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle body having window openings in a side wall and a post between adjacent window openings, said post comprising a main member extending upwardly beyond the upper margin of said openings and having a constant transversely facing channel section throughout its height and at least one additional angle-section member arranged in a region above the upper margins of the window openings and secured by one of its arms to oneof the side walls of said channel-section member while its second arm extends in the plane of the bottom wall of the channel-section member, said bottom wall and said second arm presenting a wide surface for the attachment of adjoining body members.

2. In a vehicle body having a body wall provided with a pair of window openings and a vertical post between these openings, said post comprising a main member of channel section having a bottom wall arranged in the longitudinal direction of said body wall and side walls extending transversely to the direction of said body Wall, said post having, furthermore, at least one additional member arranged in a region vertically beyond the window openings and secured by a transversely extending arm to one of the side walls of the posts, said additional member having a second arm arranged coplanar with the bottom wall of the channel section so as to present together with the latter a wide surface for the attachment of adjoining body members while the width of the post between the window openings is restricted to the width of said main memher.

3. In a railway car having a body side wall unit surrounding a row of window openings and a roof unit provided with a marginal outer panel portion overlappingly secured to portion of the side wall unit above the window openings, vertical side wall posts between said window openings, said posts comprising a straight-sided main member of U-section with an outer bottom wall extending in the direction of the side wall, transversely extending side walls terminating in laterally extending marginal flanges, and additional U-section members in the regions of the post above the window openings, said U-section members facing in the longitudinal direction of the car and having their bottom walls secured to the side walls of themain member of the post whereas their side Walls are arranged respectively in the planes of the bottom wall and flanges of the main post member, aid bottom wall of the main post member and the side walls of the said additional members presenting a wide attachment surface for said marginal panel portion of the roof.

4. In a railway car, a body side wall provided with window openings and with posts between such openings, the latter extending upwardly beyond the upper margin of the window openings, said posts comprising a main member of channel section having its bottom wall arranged on the outside in the general plane of the body side wall, transversely inwardly extending side walls and inner marginal flanges on the latter directed toward each other, said posts comprising, furthermore, in the region above the Window openings a pair of additional U-section members fastened by their bottom walls to the side walls of said main member and having their side walls arranged in the planes of the bottom wall and the flanges respectively of the main member, said bottom wall and flanges of the main memher and the side walls of said additional members presenting together large areas for the attachment of adjoining body members in the region above the window openings whereas the width of the post between the window openings is restricted to the width of said main member.

5. In a railway car, a body side Wall unit provided with window openings, with posts between such openings, the latter extending upwardly beyond the upper margin of the window openings, and with a pair of vertically spaced chords above said openings connected to said posts, said posts comprising a main straight-sided member of channel section having a bottom wall arranged on the outside in the general plane of the body side wall, transversely extending side walls and inner marginal flanges on the latter directed toward each other, said main members of the posts extending between said window openings and to the uppermost of said chords, said post having, furthermore, in the region between said chords a pair of additional U-section members fastened by their bottom walls to the side walls of said main member and having their sidewalls arranged in the planes of the bottom wall and the flanges respectively of the main member, said bottom wall and flanges of the main member and the side walls of said additional members presenting together in the region above the window openings wide surfaces for the attachment of a downwardly projecting panel of an adjoining roof unit whereas the width of the post between the window openings is restricted to the width of said main member.

7 ALBERT G. DEAN.

No references cited. 

